Rating summary

Movie		2.5
Video		3.5
Audio		3.5
Extras		3.0
Overall		2.5

The Devil's Partner Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 13, 2024

Note: This film is available on Blu-ray as part of the two disc The Devil's Partner release from Film Masters.

Film Masters is continuing with its curation of some early and perhaps arguably lesser known Roger Corman or Corman adjacent offerings (courtesy of his Filmgroup production entity founded with his brother Gene), having already served up Beast from Haunted Cave and Ski Troop Attack, along with what is probably a better remembered Corman effort, The Terror (that release also included The Little Shop of Horrors). Though The Devil's Partner (or just Devil's Partner, as its actual title card reads) was evidently shot in 1958, according to the back cover of this release it really didn't get exhibited until 1961, when it was frequently paired on a double feature with Creature from the Haunted Cave. The first tale is a twist of sorts on a kind of quasi-Faustian conceit, whereas the second is a somewhat daffy offering that followed in the darkly comedic footsteps of A Bucket of Blood and that aforementioned Corman effort "starring" an out of control house plant.

Trivia fans may well remember Ed Nelson from his long run as Dr. Michael Rossi on the old sixties prime time soap opera Peyton Place, and some real pop culture historians may recall Nelson was actually the subject of a rather interesting "equal time" controversy (back when the FCC had such a regulation) when he ran for public office and some of his opponents claimed his television appearances were an unfair advantage. Despite getting that all important "introducing" credit with this offering, Nelson had actually been around for quite some time and already had racked up quite a few feature film and television appearances. Still, this is a relatively early production with Nelson in a central role, portraying Nick Richards, a young guy who shows up in New Mexico to claim the estate of his late uncle, Pete Jensen. Now, minor spoiler alert even though the film's credit gives this away, and even some rather deft makeup in an opening vignette can't completely hide the artifice, but Pete and Nick are one and the same, which, considering that opening vignette shows Pete making a "deal with the devil" (apparently for youth, among other things), defies the frequent description of Satan as "Old Nick".

Old Pete evidently had his eye on comely Nell Lucas (Jean Allison), and Young Nick decides to interlope between Nell and her beau David Simpson (Richard Crane). And in fact Nick ends up taking David's place in more than one way, though this narrative through line is occasionally sidelined by a somewhat peculiar emphasis on animal attacks or at least hazards. This might well have sufficed in a drive in setting, where, let's face it, teenaged "viewers" may not have been all that engaged by what was happening on screen, but seen as an ostensible "standalone" effort, The Devil's Partner never achieves much suspense, and despite running just a little over an hour, can kind of be a slog to get through. There are some fun supporting characterizations courtesy of such pros as Edgar Buchanan, and Nelson is actually rather slimily persuasive as Nick.

The Devil's Partner Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Devil's Partner is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Film Masters with AVC encoded 1080p transfers in either 1.85:1 or 1.37:1 (I've included screenshots from both aspect ratios so that those interested can contrast and compare). While nowhere near as variant in quality as Creature from the Haunted Sea, there are some noticeable differences in clarity and especially grain structure scattered throughout this generally nice looking presentation. At its best moments, this transfer features a decently tightly resolved grain field, good contrast and some commendable detail levels. Other moments, though, show a marked uptick in grain grittiness and a concomitant loss of clarity and fine detail. I've tried to provide a couple of screenshots of some of the better and worse sections for comparison's sake. There are occasional minor nicks (young or old, as the case may be), blemishes and scratches, but no really debilitating damage. The film has a number of opticals, including some transformation scenes for Nick/Pete, and those understandably can be a bit rougher looking than the bulk of this presentation.

The Devil's Partner Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Devil's Partner features a DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 Mono track which does show some boxiness and maybe even a bit of stridency in the highest registers, but which still provides an adequate accounting of a minimalist sound design. Filmgroup only distributed this effort, but there are a number of other Corman connections, including composer Ronald Stein, who contributes an effective score. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

The Devil's Partner Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Hollywood Intruders: The Filmgroup Story Part 3 (HD; 21:04) continues with the appealing look at the Corman Brothers' production company (previous installments can be found on prior Film Masters Blu-ray releases), with host C. Courtney Joyner discussing what might be the best remembered era of Filmgroup, where "newcomers" like Francis Ford Coppola and Peter Bogdanovich learned the ropes of filmmaking.


• Roger Corman: Remembering Filmgroup (HD; 10:46) offers Corman himself reminiscing.


• 2024 Re-cut Trailer for The Devil's Partner (HD; 1:24)


• Commentary for The Devil's Partner features Larry Strothe, James Gonis, Shawn Sheridan and Matt Weinhold from the Monster Party podcast and is accessible under the Setup Menu.

The Devil's Partner Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Devil's Partner actually starts out rather stylishly, with a "sacrifice" that is alluded to rather smartly, even if Pete's "magickal pentagram" is more of a trapezoid, but then things get more and more rote as they progress, with a lot of any potential suspense kind of dissipated. Some of the supporting performances are fun, but the film never really generates any significant angst. Technical merits are generally solid, and the supplements are quite enjoyable, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.